An animated film that covers as much epic and emotional ground as Doctor Zhivago.
Satrapi and Paronnaud have done a remarkable job bringing "Persepolis" to life while juggling all of the complex elements and emotions that upbraid the narrative. The animation is distinctive--what Satrapi calls "stylized realism"--the voice actors perfectly matched, and the pacing just enough to keep things moving, while affording viewers pauses for reflection. It's a wonderful, hand-drawn film, which is why it won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was named Best Animated Feature by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the New York Online Film Critics.
Satrapi said she's just as pleased with the dubbed English version, which utilizes the additional voice talents of Sean Penn (Marjane's father), Gena Rowlands (Marjane's grandma), Iggy Pop (Uncle Anouche), and Amethyste Frezeignac (young Marjane).
Video:
"Persepolis" looks great in 1080p, a nice clean, crisp transfer that offers the right black levels to make the black-and-white sections (which constitute the bulk of the movie) look rich and detailed. When color comes into the frames, it's a bold statement, with fully saturated colors, the reds especially. It doesn't have quite the high-gloss sheen of digital animation, but it's a very nice looking picture.
Audio:
The default audio is French Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and the sound is clear and vibrant. As for the mixing, there are times when you'll be startled by a sound that comes out of the rear or one of the front main speakers. More than a few times when I watched this film I jumped or else wondered whether the sound was on the TV or if it was in or outside my house. In other words, all the channels get quite a workout. Some may consider the jarring, isolated sounds a positive, but I found myself thinking (wishing?) they could have been a little less intrusive.
Good news for dub fans, though: the English soundtrack is also Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and it's just as solid, overall. Subtitles are in English, English SDH, and Spanish.
Extras:
For my money, the best of the bonus features is the panel Q&A at Cannes, but then again I'm a sucker for interviews. It's interesting to see how candid or careful the respondents are, and what slips might pop out. I like to see all the voice talents, too, and hear how the directors and producers feel, while all of them sit in front of the press and listen to the responses. But two short (under 20 minute) bonus features are also decent. "The Hidden Side of Persepolis" shows the co-directors teasing each other, while what's revealed is the magnitude of both personalities and how much of a negotiation this film must have been for each. There are behind-the-scenes clips and interviews in this brief feature, as there are in "Behind the Scenes of Persepolis," which brings in the voice talents, including the American cast. There are animated scene comparisons for "After the Bombing," "Depression," "The Wedding," and "Animation Test," and three scene-specific commentaries that float independently. Satrapi talks about the opening sequence, actress Mastroianni talks about the "Eye of the Tiger" scene, and Paronnaud offers his take on "The Vienna Scene." But my favorite comment came from Satrapi, who says on one feature how she thought directing meant she'd come in two days a week, shout at everybody, "they would do the work, and I would become rich and famous." There's an interesting tell-it-like-it-is candor here that's all the more fun after you've watched "Persepolis."
Bottom Line:
"Persepolis" will outrage you as much as it delights, and amuse you almost as much as it tugs at your heart. It's an animated film that covers as much epic and emotional ground as "Doctor Zhivago." And in the span of just 95 minutes, that's quite a feat.
Satrapi said she's just as pleased with the dubbed English version, which utilizes the additional voice talents of Sean Penn (Marjane's father), Gena Rowlands (Marjane's grandma), Iggy Pop (Uncle Anouche), and Amethyste Frezeignac (young Marjane).
Video:
"Persepolis" looks great in 1080p, a nice clean, crisp transfer that offers the right black levels to make the black-and-white sections (which constitute the bulk of the movie) look rich and detailed. When color comes into the frames, it's a bold statement, with fully saturated colors, the reds especially. It doesn't have quite the high-gloss sheen of digital animation, but it's a very nice looking picture.
Audio:
The default audio is French Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and the sound is clear and vibrant. As for the mixing, there are times when you'll be startled by a sound that comes out of the rear or one of the front main speakers. More than a few times when I watched this film I jumped or else wondered whether the sound was on the TV or if it was in or outside my house. In other words, all the channels get quite a workout. Some may consider the jarring, isolated sounds a positive, but I found myself thinking (wishing?) they could have been a little less intrusive.
Good news for dub fans, though: the English soundtrack is also Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and it's just as solid, overall. Subtitles are in English, English SDH, and Spanish.
Extras:
For my money, the best of the bonus features is the panel Q&A at Cannes, but then again I'm a sucker for interviews. It's interesting to see how candid or careful the respondents are, and what slips might pop out. I like to see all the voice talents, too, and hear how the directors and producers feel, while all of them sit in front of the press and listen to the responses. But two short (under 20 minute) bonus features are also decent. "The Hidden Side of Persepolis" shows the co-directors teasing each other, while what's revealed is the magnitude of both personalities and how much of a negotiation this film must have been for each. There are behind-the-scenes clips and interviews in this brief feature, as there are in "Behind the Scenes of Persepolis," which brings in the voice talents, including the American cast. There are animated scene comparisons for "After the Bombing," "Depression," "The Wedding," and "Animation Test," and three scene-specific commentaries that float independently. Satrapi talks about the opening sequence, actress Mastroianni talks about the "Eye of the Tiger" scene, and Paronnaud offers his take on "The Vienna Scene." But my favorite comment came from Satrapi, who says on one feature how she thought directing meant she'd come in two days a week, shout at everybody, "they would do the work, and I would become rich and famous." There's an interesting tell-it-like-it-is candor here that's all the more fun after you've watched "Persepolis."
Bottom Line:
"Persepolis" will outrage you as much as it delights, and amuse you almost as much as it tugs at your heart. It's an animated film that covers as much epic and emotional ground as "Doctor Zhivago." And in the span of just 95 minutes, that's quite a feat.
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[release]23790[/release]